lower fire danger
Backyard & industrial fire bans lifted by Coastal Fire Centre
NANAIMO - All remaining fire bans on Vancouver Island will be lifted as of noon on Wednesday, Sept. 30.The campfire ban was removed earlier this month, and the Coastal Fire Centre said category two and three open fires will now be permitted.Category two fires include burn piles not exceeding two metres in height and th...
5h ago
Read More
orange shirt day
Local events to honour National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
NANAIMO - Wednesday, Sep. 30 is the sixth annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, with events taking place across the mid-Island to commemorate the occasion. In Nanaimo, Deverill Square Park at 200 Irwin St. will host a free community event from 9:30 a.m. until 2 p.m., starting with a traditional blessing by ...
22h ago
Read More
2026 municipal election
Two-time Parksville city councillor hoping to be the next mayor
This article is part of a multi-week feature from NanaimoNewsNOW, profiling Mayoral candidates across the mid-Island ahead of the 2026 Municipal Election. For complete election coverage, click here.PARKSVILLE - Much like the trajectory of Parksville's outgoing mayor, a city councillor is looking to leap into the city's...
Sep 29, 2026
Read More
What's Trending
tough questions
Nanaimo Mayor and Council candidates grilled in open forum
8h ago
Program helping homeowners cut costs
Nanaimo Homeowners: Centra's $1M Window Efficiency Plan is now over 75% claimed
lower fire danger
Backyard & industrial fire bans lifted by Coastal Fire Centre
5h ago
orange shirt day
Local events to honour National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
22h ago
Nanaimo, Parksville and Area
tangible representation
'They belong here:' new welcome pole unveiled at Wellington Secondary
NANAIMO - A new welcome pole at a local high school is being viewed as a concrete message for staff and students: everyone is welcome here.Carved by Snuneymuxw First Nation artist Noel Brown, the yellow and red cedar artwork was officially unveiled on Tuesday, Sept. 29, during a whole-school ceremony outside the main e...
Sep 29, 2026
Read More
high-risk incident
Impaired Qualicum Beach driver restrained by Good Samaritans
NANAIMO - A swerving car missing a wheel with sparks flying along Hwy. 19A drew the attention of several motorists and area residents. The southbound driver north of Qualicum Beach, described in court as highly intoxicated on the evening of May 24, 2026, was Mackenzie Nicholas Blanchard. He was a few hours away from ha...
Sep 29, 2026
Read More
tour de rock
VIDEO: Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock rolls into Nanaimo
NANAIMO - Riders from the annual Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock made their way through Oceanside and Nanaimo, being celebrated and raising money to help find a cure for children's cancer. The group started their Monday, Sep. 28 ride at Aspengrove School in Lantzville, then headed south before arriving at the Nanaimo RCMP...
Sep 28, 2026
Read More
walk of life
Virtual Nanaimo tour showcases Snuneymuxw First Nation art and history
NANAIMO - Just in time for National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a free virtual tour of local First Nation art and history across the Harbour City and Snuneymuxw First Nation territory is now available. 'imush tu hulitum (Walk of Life) is a self-guided tour of local SFN art, complete with information on each piece...
Sep 28, 2026
Read More
2026 municipal election
Former financial planner seeking Nanaimo Mayor's chair
This article is part of a multi-week feature from NanaimoNewsNOW, profiling Mayoral candidates across the mid-Island ahead of the 2026 Municipal Election. For complete election coverage, click here. NANAIMO - Initially contemplating retirement, a candidate to be the next Mayor of Nanaimo said she "felt really comp...
Sep 28, 2026
Read More
storm season
Heavy rain in forecast as warnings issued for Metro Vancouver, B.C. coast
VANCOUVER - Heavy rainfall is in the forecast for parts of the British Columbia coast, including Metro Vancouver, with some areas expecting up to 100 millimetres of precipitation. Environment Canada issued the rainfall warning for Metro Vancouver nort...
Sep 28, 2026
Read More
British Columbia
CP NewsAlert: Two First Nations elders killed in B.C. mall crash, Carney says
DELTA - Prime Minister Mark Carney says the Tsawwassen First Nation in Delta, B.C., has lost two beloved elders in a crash at a shopping centre, which police have said appears to have been set off by a medical emergency. Carney says in a statement on ...
2h ago
Read More
Frontal system causes heavy rain of up to 100 millimetres along part of B.C. coast
VANCOUVER - A frontal system that moved across the British Columbia coast this week dropped more than 100 millimetres of rain at one location, while other communities were also drenched. Environment Canada issued rainfall warnings for Monday and Tuesda...
5h ago
Read More
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation recognized on B.C. election campaign
KAMLOOPS - Politicians in British Columbia's election campaign are marking the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, committing to work with Indigenous Peoples by acknowledging the past while taking steps for the future. NDP Leader David Eby is sp...
13h ago
Read More
Carney announces $1.2 billion for oceans ahead of expected pipeline decision
VANCOUVER - Prime Minister Mark Carney announced $1.2 billion in federal funding for ocean protections Tuesday as the country moves toward decisions on a new pipeline to the West Coast and the expansion of a major port in Metro Vancouver. The major pro...
21h ago
Read More
Parliament to address AI safety, Carney says after Tumbler Ridge ChatGPT reports
OTTAWA - Prime Minister Mark Carney said Parliament will address AI safety this fall after media reports suggested OpenAI's ChatGPT chatbot coached the Tumbler Ridge shooter. But it's not clear if Carney was referring to the Liberals' already-proposed ...
22h ago
Read More
Two men convicted of first-degree murder in 2022 Whistler, B.C., shooting
WHISTLER - Police in British Columbia say two men accused in a double homicide in Whistler, B.C., in 2022 have been convicted of first-degree murder. B.C.'s Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says Tanvir Khakh and Gursimran Sahota have been convict...
Sep 29, 2026
Read More
Local Sports
Championship Mentality
John Barsby's varsity football team brings a winning attitude to a new season
NANAIMO - The high school varsity football season has begun in the mid island with the John Barsby Bulldogs winning their season opener 55-34 against Abbotford. Barsby is in a AA/AAA hybrid division with Ballenas out of Parksville and Mt. Douglas and Spectrum schools from Victoria. Initially Nanaimo District Secondary ...
Sep 26, 2026
Read More
Kicking It
VIU soccer teams hit the pitch for 2026 PACWEST season
NANAIMO - The VIU Mariners are beginning a new PACWEST soccer season with differing expectations.The women will attempt to win the provincial championship for a third straight time, while the men are hoping to rise up the table after finishing 2-7-3 in 2025.Women's coach Bobbie Taylor said her group will have a strong ...
Sep 12, 2026
Read More
Scoring Big
Vancouver Island Seals provide elite development pathway for female hockey players
NANAIMO - The Vancouver Island Seals hockey program has been going since 2017 and it's the only female AAA hockey team on the island. General manager Cynthia Fowler said the team had been based out of the south island to start but now calls Port Alberni home. "Last year we moved the team to Port Alberni because of...
Sep 07, 2026
Read More
ClippersNOW
Three Straight
Clippers solid in win over Eagles
NANAIMO - The Clippers ended September with consecutive victories over Cowichan Valley, Blackfalds and Surrey.On Sunday, Sept.27 Nanaimo won 4-1 over the Eagles in a game they led most of the way.Elliot Perreault opened the scoring on an early man advantage before Kole Keen tied the game for Surrey in the first minute ...
Sep 28, 2026
Read More
First Period Outburst
Clippers use strong start to beat Blackfalds
NANAIMO - The Clippers built up a 3-0 lead in their first ever game against the Blackfalds Bulldogs but then had to hold on to earn a 4-2 victory.The first BCHL goal for Zack Carrier put Nanaimo up early in the first period before Indiana Grossbard and Charles Béland added tallies in the opening frame.Beland esp...
Sep 26, 2026
Read More
New Faces
Clippers reforming blue line for new season
NANAIMO - The new BCHL season has begun for the Clippers with an almost entirely new defence corps.Hudson Gill is the lone veteran but only played seven games last year due to injury, and Nate Barclay was an affiliate player with the Clippers a year ago.Noah Caswell, Will St. James, Murray Kanerva, Pherson Loehndorf, C...
Sep 23, 2026
Read More
Canada
Ottawa is shifting its stance on 'anti-Zionism' - and the reactions so far are mixed
OTTAWA - The federal government has identified "anti-Zionism" as a driver of anti-Jewish hate - a major policy shift that has prompted a range of reactions. The change took place on Sept. 24 when Public Safety Canada published a progress report on fede...
25m ago
Read More
Canada urges France to back off plan for snow crab fishery off coast of Newfoundland
ST. JOHN'S - Canada's fisheries minister urged France on Wednesday to abandon a plan to launch a snow crab fishery in waters near Newfoundland and the French territory of St-Pierre-Miquelon. Joanne Thompson said France made no mention of its plan to Ca...
2h ago
Read More
2 killed, 2 hurt in crash involving medical emergency at Delta, B.C., mall
DELTA - Two people have been killed in a crash at the Tsawwassen Mills mall in Delta, B.C., while two other pedestrians were injured in what police said appears to have been set off by a medical emergency. Police said Wednesday the injured were treate...
2h ago
Read More
Canada's memorable year in space set to continue with NASA's SpaceX Crew 13 mission
COCOA BEACH - Astronaut Joshua Kutryk is set to blast off for the International Space Station on Thursday as Canada continues a memorable year for space exploration and research. The 44-year-old is one of four people assigned to NASA's SpaceX Crew 13 m...
4h ago
Read More
Carney reflects on 'dark chapter' at Truth and Reconciliation ceremony in Edmonton
EDMONTON - Prime Minister Mark Carney came home to Alberta's capital Wednesday to meet with First Nations leaders and families and honour the children who suffered and endured in Canada's residential schools. "Today is about all the truth," Carney said...
5h ago
Read More
Ontario Conservative MP Scott Aitchison to resign when fall sitting ends
OTTAWA - Ontario Conservative MP Scott Aitchison announced Wednesday he will resign his seat of Parry Sound-Muskoka at the end of the fall parliamentary sitting. In a letter released to constituents, Aitchison said he will explore other opportunities a...
5h ago
Read More
World
Helicopter with 6 aboard crashes in Zimbabwe with no survivors, officials say
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) - A helicopter with six people on board crashed in a rural part of Zimbabwe on Wednesday and it appears there were no survivors, officials said. Among the victims was a prominent businessman and his wife, state medi...
2h ago
Read More
Police say parents to face charges after a Michigan toddler displayed a gun at daycare
CANTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) - The parents of a Detroit-area toddler who pulled a loaded pistol out of his backpack at a daycare will face charges in the case, police said Wednesday. In a statement, police in Canton Township said the paren...
2h ago
Read More
Hurricane Rachel forms in Pacific Ocean, no threat to land, forecasters say
MIAMI (AP) - Hurricane Rachel formed Wednesday in the Pacific Ocean but posed no threat to land, the National Hurricane Center said. Rachel was located about 380 miles (615 kilometers) west of Lazaro Cardenas, Mexico, or about 220 miles (...
3h ago
Read More
Sponsored Content
Program helping homeowners cut costs
Nanaimo Homeowners: Centra's $1M Window Efficiency Plan is now over 75% claimed
The Centra Install Pros Window Efficiency Plan - a program helping Nanaimo homeowners cut the cost of new windows and doors - is running out of runway fast. The plan puts up to $650 toward each window or door replaced, drawn from a dedicated $1 million fund set aside for local homeowners. There is no income testing and...
Sep 18, 2026
Read More
sponsored content
Resort-Style Retirement Living in Nanaimo's Old City Quarter
For many retirees, and those nearing retirement, staying in their home can be difficult. The time spent on day-to-day maintenance, plus dealing with bigger repairs usually required on an older home, can cut into time they'd rather spend enjoying their retirement. And if they're traveling, they don't want to worry about...
Jul 28, 2026
Read More
sponsored content
Customizable Management for Smaller Strata Communities
Most people who volunteer for their strata council don't sign up to be an accountant. But for many in smaller strata communities, with less than 50 units, that's exactly what they end up doing. They spend time researching bylaws, getting quotes for maintenance, and worrying that something important has been missed. The...
Jun 09, 2026
Read More